Wonder Of Advent #20

Magnified

Read: Luke 1:46-55

The Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me.

Luke 1:49

MARY’S SONG, the Magnificat, is filled with praise. Like Hannah before her, who also erupted in worship at the birth of a miraculous son (1 Samuel 2:1-10), she begins by marveling at what God has done for her specifically and moves quickly to what he has done for his people as a whole. She says the proud have been scattered, and princes have been brought down. The humble have been raised up, and the hungry have been filled. These are echoes of Hannah, who praised God at Samuel’s birth for breaking the bows of the mighty and governing life and death. In both women’s eyes, God has won marvelous victories and provided for the needs of his people. He has done great things.

Of course, no bows were broken when Hannah and Mary gave birth, at least not literally. No princes had been cast down, and no one had yet been raised from the grave. But both women were exactly right that God’s mercy for one suggested his mercy for all. They realized what God had done for them individually had much bigger implications. They not only magnified him in their praise; they magnified his works, seeing something universal in the particular. They realized their pregnancies were the fulfillment of God’s larger plan.

This is a common dynamic in Scripture and in our own lives. God’s particular mercy can be universally applied. When he does something wonderful for someone else, it shows us who he is and serves as an invitation for us to ask him to work in our lives in the same ways. Likewise, when he does something for us, it serves as a commission to share his goodness with those around us. God’s acts are prophecies of his goodness that apply to one and all.

Step into the revelation of who God is in Christ. Jesus was not an ancient phenomenon; he’s a present witness to the mercies and glory of God. He has demonstrated that God is on the side of his people, that he is who he said he is and will do what he has said he will do, and that he has come to save, deliver, provide, heal, and forgive. He is the ultimate sign that God is willing to intervene in the lives of those who call to him.

Prayer

Lord, you have done great things in Jesus. You have invited me into your mercy. You are a fulfiller of all your promises. May I enter into every inch of every blessing provided in Jesus. Amen.

REFLECTION

In what sense was God’s promise to Mary a promise to you? How has Jesus opened the door for humanity into all of God’s blessings?

Further reading: 1 Samuel 2:1-10

He has opened heaven’s door,

and man is blest forevermore.

“GOOD CHRISTIAN MEN, REJOICE,” GERMAN CAROL